Grand Poobah

Grand Poobah is a satirical term derived from the name of the haughty, prideful character Pooh-Bah in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (1885).

[2] The American writer William Safire wrote that "everyone assumes [the name] Pooh-Bah merely comes from [W. S. Gilbert] combining the two negative exclamations Pooh!

"[3] The title "Grand Poobah" was used recurrently on the television show The Flintstones as the name of a high-ranking elected position in a secret society, the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes.

Similarly, Howard Cunningham, a character on the TV series Happy Days, was a Grand Poobah of Leopard Lodge No.

[5][6] The title has been associated ironically with real-world people, sometimes used facetiously in self-reference,[7] sometimes to praise someone,[8] and at other times to criticize an organizational leader for being overbearing.